Meet Nick Hughes | Commercial Product Photographer and Videographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nick Hughes and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nick, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m originally from the East Bay near San Francisco. Growing up, I spent a lot of my summers in Sonoma County by the redwoods. I think those summers surrounded by family and the quiet landscape of the forest shaped a bit of who I am. Growing up in that area and around San Francisco has definitely influenced my creative process and vision today.
Living in the Bay Area I was also exposed to a lot of different artistic influences like street art, skating culture, the punk scene at the Gilman in Berkeley, other live music venues like Rickshaw Stop, and Bottom of the Hill. Another main Bay Area influence of mine was George Lucas. I grew up watching star wars and I was obsessed. I watched all the special features on every VHS over and over again until the tape gave out (now I have the blu-rays haha). It felt like when I was growing up in the Bay I was surrounded by artists expressing themselves anywhere I looked. I wanted to be like them, I wanted to remember them. I started taking photos at some of my favorite places. It started with landscapes and as I was going out with friends I would photograph them as well. Beginning photography as a hobby with friends, and taking photos of what I was familiar with made me confident enough to find my own voice. Early on, I was inspired by Nat Geo photographers like Steve McCurry and then in college I got into filmmaking. Now my influences have gotten more varied and sporadic.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I want to influence others to create. I think everyone wants to “make things”, and the barriers to it are things like perceived social expectations, or the fear of criticism for not being perfect when you do create. I believe that everyone has a creativity muscle and if there is one thing in my life that makes me proud, it’s when I see that I’ve influenced others to create.
Was getting to where I am today easy? I think creating art and doing it full time are two different beasts. There are times when creating is easy and there are times when it can be hard but doing it professionally, while gratifying has not been the easiest path. My journey has involved a lot of self discovery, trial and error (lots of error), and times where my career has been great, but also times of struggle. I have noticed that the challenges tend not to change but you learn how to overcome them, many times in your own way, and everyone finds their flow at different speeds. I believe that the difference between people who find success and those who don’t is persistence. There are a lot of times that I’ve almost given up and pursued other industries but every time I try again, I get better at what I do and appreciate it a little more. The same is true for a lot of my peers and the people who inspire me. I think the coolest thing about it is that even when there are easier routes, we choose to come back to do it all over again because we care so much about our vision we’re willing to go through the crazy hills and valleys. I think resilience is a really key skill for any entrepreneur, creative or not.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
For starters, the best burger. My friend group is in the middle of what we’re calling a “burger off”, a competition to see who has the best burger spot on the west side. I personally think it’s Hinano Cafe, they think it’s The Window, both are in Venice. The jury is still out on which one is best, but we started with The Window last week and it was great, so shout out to them! I also think watching planes near the airport is fun, beach sunsets in Venice are of course a classic, and Dan Sung Sa is a really good Korean spot in K-town, and it’s open late!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to dedicate my shoutout to a few important people and groups that have been essential to my journey. First, my family, girlfriend, and friends who have supported me and kept me sane through the highs and lows of entrepreneurship which will make anyone crazy. Even after the millions of panicked “911” calls to them only for things to usually turn out to be completely fine. I’d also like to give a big shoutout to Pacific Coast Pictures. The collaboration we’ve had together has been invaluable in helping me grow both personally and professionally as a brand and they are a great team. Finally, my own team at Hughes Film—without dedication and creative input of my collaborators, my business wouldn’t be what it is today. It’s truly been a team effort, and I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who’s contributed to this journey.

Website: https://www.hughesfilm.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hughesfilm.co/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nhughesdigital/

Image Credits
Photo of me with Sony camera in hand is taken by Tristan Caro

Photo of surfer is by Nick Hughes (Me), surfer is unknown

Photo of skater is by me, skater is unknown

Photo of me with red pillars is by Jane Ghebrial

Photo of Nertia is a branded photo shoot, permission is granted, the brand is Nertia, the person posing is Chris Nguyen, I am the photographer

https://shopnertia.com/?tw_source=google&tw_adid=699797871266&tw_campaign=21292759347&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAhP67BhAVEiwA2E_9g5SGWGjX0fL86hfH98IZRn0Zhq-Q9w0DQoaMb6Yl7paIhbrkMMKVihoCR9cQAvD_BwE

Photo of Venice sign is by me.

Photo of me in glasses is self portrait